LSG vs MI: Cricketers Question Mumbai Indians Decision After Tilak Varma Becomes 4th Player to Retire Out in IPL

Add as a preferred source on Google

Tilka Varma created history on Friday (April 4) after becoming only the fourth player to retire out in Indian Premier League (IPL) history, but former cricketers Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan and current star Hanuma Vihari questioned the Mumbai Indians' call.

Coming in as Impact Substitute in the run chase of 204, Tilak struggled to up the ante and ended up being forced to retire out when he was batting on 25 off 23 balls in the 19th over with 24 needed off 7 balls for victory.

Following the match, Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya explained the reason behind the call, saying the team needed hits and that's something Tilak was not able to provide in the dying stages of the chase at the BRSABV Ekana Stadium in Lucknow.

Clarifying the move, Pandya said, "We needed some hits, he was not getting those. In cricket some of those days come, when you try but they don't come." But Harbhajan, Pathan and Vihari were puzzled with the decision as it was Mitchell Santner, who replaced Varma and not any big-hitter.

Harbhajan took to social media to call out Mumbai Indians for the decision, saying he would have understood the decision if it was some one like Kieron Pollard, who was coming out to replace Tilak at that situation.

"Retiring Tilak for Santer was a mistake in my opinion . Is Santner a better hitter than Tilak ? If it was for Pollard or some other accomplished hitter I would have understood . But Don't agree with this. Come on @mipaltan," Harbhajan wrote on X.

Former pacer Irfan Pathan simply questioned, "Tilak Verma retired out n Santner coming in? Doesn't make sense to me. What do you guys think?" Meanwhile, Vihari also posted a similar question asking, why Hardik did not do something similar when he struggled to get going against Gujarat Titans.

Even Suryakumar Yadav, who has backed Tilak in the Indian cricket team to bat up the order, looked frustrated with the decision in the dug out as head coach Mahela Jayawardene tried explaining the call to the star batter.

Meanwhile, legendary Sunil Gavaskar questioned Tilak Varma's batting position especially when coming in as an impact substitute, highlighting that the youngster bats higher-up the order even for Team India.

"Tilak Varma, who has batted so well for India at No. 3, he should be up at No. 3. Tilak coming down the order, not having fielded at all... when you field, you get a feel of the match. Suddenly, if you go out to bat, it's never easy," Gavaskar said on Star Sports after the match..